How to Be Dead
by Chojuro
Summary: Karin lives the seemingly secret life of a Necromancer... but things get a little weird whenever Suigetsu finds out. SuiKa, rated for language.   Now completed!
1. The End Doesn't Exist

Hello, all. This is my fourth submission!

**If I continue it: **This story probably won't be very long, probably five to ten chapters, unless I happen to get a jolt of inspiration (I doubt it). There's also large chance that I'll take this down later to re-write it, then repost. The chapters, also, will be shorter, simply because of my lack of time.

**I'm not trying to physically downplay religion in any way; this is simple fanfiction and doesn't literally apply to anything whatsoever. **Please remember that. This _is_ a fic about Necromancy- reviving/contact of/with the dead. I know absolutely nothing about Necromancy, though, so I'm researching here and there. For those who know about it, if I make mistake, please tell me so. D;

I don't own any of the characters.

This story, as far as I know at the moment, does _not_ follow the storyline. It's fan_fiction,_ after all.

And I know. Sasuke and Suigetsu don't retrieve Karin the way I portrayed. So what.

Also, it _is_ SuiKa, if you don't like the pairing, please try to have an open mind about it, or don't read- you know the drill.

That all being said, on with the show.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

"People always wonder what happens when they die; their false religions try to reassure them of their fate... And, in midst of trying to reassure themselves, their belief bring along segregation and war, neglect and explosive deaths."

The cave inhabited by a young girl was lit with lanterns ablaze; their flames kindled, and a large storm just outside rumbled in rhythm.

"Their religions try to justify death and the faults they see in one another. Feh... how pathetic, utterly pathetic." The female, Karin by name, laughed darkly and the echo formulated nearly scared the said girl herself. She faltered and pushed her glasses up upon the bridge of her pale nose as a silent rebuttal.

"I, myself, wonder if their naive attributes will blind them forever sometimes; that's certainly how it appears..." She paused unhappily, "I never do get many customers these days," Karin yawned a bit and crossed her arms.

"All this stress really isn't good on my skin..." The redhead caressed her cheeks unhappily before crossing her arms once more and leaning back to the cave wall. Her red irises scanned the dark silhouette, and she closed her eyelids, basking in the addicting noise of thunderstorms.

_There is no God. There is no afterlife in "heaven," or "hell," for that matter, and there is no such thing as "eternal salvation." You don't just disappear. You don't return to the earth as any foreign organism, that all is absurd gibberish._

_Instead, simply, you come to me, and that is your fate. You're at my call and at my disposal._

* * *

The passing of the storm within the morning light brought the thick, musty smell of rain along with it. Karin herself awoke with the breaking of dawn, and arose at the setting of the morning stars. The redhead was used to her lifestyle away from everyone; in fact, she didn't mind it all that much. She blew the flames within the hanging lanterns out and put them away before grabbing her satchel of various equipments. Karin smiled upon the cave she was so used to staying in when she was away from her master; it was a place of odd sanctuary and protection when shelter was needed throughout her personal journeys. The cave itself traveled through a mountain; not many knew of it, but the ones who did knew to steer clear- unless you were a Necromancer or witch of some sort, of course.

Life of Necromancers in the said era of ninja war and alliance wasn't recognized; younger users, such as Karin, were decently common in the smaller villages that spotted the world map. Everyone had the capabilities of Necromancy, it was the fact whether one chose to hone the powers or not. Necromancy wasn't usually sought after, but every once in a blue moon, people did seek the Necromancers out for help in the area. Necromantic services weren't generally expensive, a large number offered them for free, because these Necromantic powers were, after trained in the said domain, natural. Many Necromancers amongst the current day were trained by family, or they taught themselves- Karin was of the latter. After her village was destroyed, she found she needed to train herself in something to help her cope with the loss.

Necromancy seemed to be the key.

"Orochimaru-sama, I've returned," Karin called out. She gripped her satchel and walked the halls of her master's home; this was the prison sector. The jail cells were filled with many people derived from many different places; they were simply specimens. One thing was clear: Orochimaru was dead and gone. The prisoners thought Karin had a screw or two loose; every time the girl made appearance, she always greeted her master... yet, he was gone.

_He's not gone; he never will be._ The concepts a Necromancer lived by were seemingly odd. Once accepting the Necromantic way of life, the user's train of thought changed; from the inside, it started within and built outward to the surface. When non-magic users witnessed a death, they thought they one that had experienced death was gone. Example A in the thought changes: a Necromancer never thought of someone to be _gone._ Not fully, anyway, because the user could simply find the corpse, contribute the needed supplies, say the required chant, and there you had the _living_ body. Well, _living..._ dead body. That wasn't anywhere near "dead," now was it? The revived body may have appeared to be so... but that wasn't the point.

"When're ya' gonna let us out?" One called from the left of the female. Many voices joined in to add on to the ruckus. Karin puffed her chest up, crossing her arms, "Just because Orochimaru-sama has passed doesn't mean I'm letting you all out, stupid bastards!"

"You fucking bitch!" Karin chuckled at the man to her right who was reaching for her through the jail cell bars. He peered out and literally spat at her like a crazed madman; his eyes bulged disgustingly, they scanned her small frame frantically. Karin smiled, mocking the man, "Like I haven't heard that one before."

"I'm sure you have, stupid cunt!"

"You all can rot for all I care," she spoke and held her hips, throwing her weight on her left foot.

"You just wait till I get out of here, I'll fucking mess you up, you goddamn hooker!"

"Would you like me to chisel all that on your headstone?" Karin smiled darkly, "It's the least I can do for the likes of you, dumbshit." And with her last remark, Karin walked through the hallways once more, ignoring the pathetic insults that eventually shrank, groveling at her feet as if begging for mercy. Orochimaru hadn't been claimed dead long, days even. It was still a bit unclear who committed the deed, but she had a generally good idea. Karin entered the common sector of the stone building that was made up of three sectors itself- the prison sector that contained all the specimens, the common and living sector withheld rooms for the guards and people of some importance, and the experimentation sector. The last said sector was a bit self-explanatory. The whole place was huge, though, it was mostly made up of long, countless hallways. All seemed at ease... but Karin could sense something a bit out or the norm. It was quiet; it usually was in Orochimaru's Northern base, but the silence heard was eerie and indifferent.

Karin smiled a bit throughout realization; she knew that smell. She knew that scent like the back of her hand. She sensed that presence... the one that had appealed to her most of all; the stoic, cool chakra...

"Ahh, Sasuke-kun... you're here." Karin's smile grew wider as she turned to face the black-haired male; his unchanging complexion seemed to glow. That was the face she'd thought of every time she was feeling down... That was the face that simply, and mysteriously, just made her happy. That was the face that reminded her life was still good.

"Ugh, I could've lasted a whole lot longer without seeing _you."_ Karin's eye twitched as she looked passed the Uchiha to find the Hozuki child behind him. That stupid Hozuki boy was one of Orochimaru's specimens, and certainly one of her least favorite, considering his jackass attitude.

"_Suigetsu_! I swear, you-"

"Karin," Sasuke spoke calmly, silencing her. The girl's unique red irises flashed toward the ground, then to him shyly.

"We're in need of your aid," he finished. _My... aid?_ "What type of services were you looking for, Sasuke-kun?"

"To find Itachi." _If he's searching for Itachi, then..._

Karin's heart almost skipped a beat; she'd heard rumors that this Uchiha was responsible for Orochimaru's passing, but she didn't want to believe it. She pushed her glasses up and the dim lighting reflected off them onto the wall. She held her hips, "You're looking for your brother now... the rumors are true then?" Sasuke barely nodded, but Karin picked it up easily. The blue-haired male behind him made numerous faces at Karin, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from retaliating to his immature stupidity. Suigetsu noticed this and kept on, snickering evilly to himself while doing so. On another note, apparently, Sasuke wasn't looking for Necromantic services... just her ability to sense chakra, Karin was guessing. Of course, she found that scenario better than nothing- she loved being near Sasuke- but it was still a let down. What in the world was happening to the need for Necromancy?

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she muttered to Sasuke lightly, but scowled to the Hozuki.

"And why not?" He demanded a bit angrily; Karin sensed a flare in his chakra and jumped a bit, shaken, but she stood her ground. She bit her lip, "You killed Orochimaru-sama, that's why; you know that's why as well as I do."

"Must I implore you, then?" He questions more quietly, calming himself, "Orochimaru is nothing more than dead."

"That's not true." _If only you knew... _Suigetsu chuckled behind Sasuke, "How so?"

"Why do you care? Shut up, you stupid jerk!" Karin fumed, clenching her fists, shaking one at Suigetsu as a threat. Once the flames died down, she tucked stray hairs behind her ear, fixing her glasses once more- simply to make herself look presentable.

"I'm in need of your ability to sense chakra," Sasuke said, "If you know of someone else with your abilities, tell me so, and I'll find them myself."

"I'm the only one from my clan, so it'd be pretty difficult to come across someone like me," she replied with a smirk, "I suppose I'll join you."

"Very well then." Sasuke smiled darkly, and Suigetsu yawned in boredom.

Karin walked to their flanks, and they exited the base.

* * *

Lmaolmaolmao, this whole fic is just random.

Oh well.

_If you think I should continue, tell me. This all is just practice. Buuut if no one reads it, I'm taking it down, haha._

Anyway, hope you like.

Adieu~! c:


	2. Frustrating Situations

Yay for chapter two! I don't expect to get a whole lot of reviews on this, haha, since I'm sure not many people know anything about Necromantics and such. I don't either, but I'm researching so this fic will make decent sense.

XD

I'm thinking this will last four or five chapters, now that I have a pretty good idea of what all is gonna be brought to the plate. I think I may add a sequel, _but only if it's requested. _Buuut it'll probably be a while before I even start thinking of a sequel with school starting once more in fifteen days. x_x

Anyway, I don't own anything except the plot!

Enjoy, please~!

* * *

_Traveling with Sasuke, Juugo, and Suigetsu is another adventure of its own. I can't say I dislike it though, that's just what I tell Suigetsu; I'm actually having a lot of fun. It passes the time, and I'm not alone for once!_

"Karin, get your fat ass over here!" Suigetsu Hozuki yelled, waving his pale arms at the girl. The redhead, infuriated, stomped to his side and punched him in the face, which in result simply dispersed into water. Sasuke merely watched and looked away while sipping at his cup of green tea. The new addition, Juugo, also drank from his cup and looked at Sasuke, then to the other two. While Suigetsu needed a water break, the party of four decided to stop at a small tea and dango shop on the side of a road. When Suigetsu started being stupid, that was when Karin high-tailed off on a walk by herself.

Karin sighed, turning away from the Hozuki boy, "You're such a freaking pain and a jerk, too!" She pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked to the plate of dango that the party had been sharing. One small stick of dango was left sitting by itself on the plate. Karin almost literally drooled; coincidentally, dango was her favorite food. She reached for the stick, and as soon as she began to pick it up, Suigetsu reached passed her, took it, and popped it in his mouth. The said female shot him a death glare, and he just smiled innocently with stuffed cheeks. Pearly, white, razored teeth protruded into her vision; and she could only think about punching them out of his face. Instead, despite her thoughts, she took hold of the other end of the stick and yanked it out of his mouth, but lost one of the dango. The redhead mentally sobbed, but simply ate the rest.

"H-hey!" Suigetsu complained, "That was mine!"

"After you took it from me, you idiot..."

"Look who's talking, you pulled the whole thing out of my mouth..."

Karin sighed and rolled her eyes, "Let's not forget who already ate, like, five of the sticks, _Suigetsu."_

"You." The girl scowled at him before smacking him with a pretty good amount of force. Karin walked away from the bench he and Juugo sat on and made herself comfy in a spot by Sasuke. She set her satchel down by her feet and turned to him.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun..." Karin muttered, pulling her glasses off, "Let's ditch these two and-"

"No. We're leaving," and with that retort, the female huffed unhappily and watched as he stood and walked to the other two party members. _This seems hopeless; he always gives me the same reaction... Maybe he secretly likes me! Guys who act like that toward girls tend to, right? Wait, no... that's whenever guys tease girls... Like Suigetsu! No way, bleh! Anyway, I wonder what will get Sasuke-kun's attention. Maybe sex appeal? Or... or great personality! ...Maybe intellect? Well, only one way to find out- just test them all! As for Suigetsu, I doubt he likes me, considering the fact he calls me fat... stupid... _Karin glared at the ground and growled upon thinking of the subject. _It'd just be stupid to speculate he has feelings for me..._

"Ooh!" Suigetsu cooed in what sounds like mock-admiration. Karin is ripped from her thoughts as she looks up to find Suigetsu looking at a small bag in his hands; she was guessing he was going to raid it for something "interesting." The girl gave him a dirty look. _What a retard... hmm, that bag is so cute! Wait... Oh. My. Fucking. God. That's my-_

"Suigetsu!" Karin immediately hopped to her feet and lunged at the sword-wielder. His face lit up in amusement as he simply moved left and right, literally dodging her. He laughed, "What's the problem, Karin, got something to hide?"

"N-no way, give it back, you jackass!" She swung at him wildly. _That bag has all my Necromantic supplies! If he figures out what I use all that stuff for, he's gonna tell Sasuke and Juugo, and he'll embarrass me to no end! And worse, Sasuke will never look at me the same!_ Karin closed her eyes in shame; she stopped and Suigetsu simply held the bag out in front of her face, taunting her. He snickers, "Does Karin want her bag back?" Karin rolled her eyes and held her hips, waiting for him to do something. He simply stood there, holding the said object between the two of them. Karin grimaced at him before kicking him in the area withholding every man's pride and joy and grabbed her bag as he dropped it. He fell to his knees groaning in pain, "Youbitch!" He spewed at her in a jumble. She smirked while throwing her bag on her arm; she held up a peace sign and stuck her tongue out, "No one ever said I couldn't play dirty. Being a guy has its disadvantages, eh?" Karin laughed in satisfaction as she joined Sasuke and Juugo while they waited for Suigetsu to recuperate.

"Suigetsu, get your fat ass over here!" Karin yelled, laughing in between her words.

* * *

Night fell once more as the alliance of four walked to their destination; Sasuke was leading the group, obviously. Karin walked behind him, Suigetsu was a few feet to her side and Juugo stalked behind them. The band of misfits had grown used to Karin and Suigetsu's spatting, and the silence, too. The piercing silence withheld them for long, unspeakable amounts of time. Karin enjoyed it herself; traveling had always been one of her favorite pastimes. They'd only been on their journey for a couple of days, but they'd seen so many pretty sights. The scenery was breathtaking, and being able to view it in silence was the icing on the cake. It helped to take everything in more effectively.

"We'll camp here," Sasuke stated. Karin smiled happily and remarked, "Good choice! It's so pretty here... the stars look like little lights in the distance; and the moon is full! It's-"

"Yeah, yeah, Karin, it's '_soo_' pretty. No one cares, shuddup," Suigetsu muttered. Karin pushed her glasses up and stomped, "Just because you don't appreciate nature doesn't mean you have to be a killjoy..."

"I'm made of water, stupid! Of course I appreciate nature!" Suigetsu vociferates, "There's an exception for whenever you try and make it all sound cool though; I mean, really? 'Little lights?'" Suigetsu crossed his arms, "Last time I checked, that's what stars _are,_ there isn't any need to-" Suigetsu is interrupted by Karin punching him in the face hardily as she muttered insults under her breath. The redhead walked to her other accomplices, "As I was saying, good choice. You really know how to pick a breathtaking place to stay at... it's so beautiful here- I can't get over it..." Karin was being sincere for once within her complement, and Sasuke saw this; the raven smiled and nodded at her, "Thanks." Karin nodded and turned to Juugo, "You're not a talker, huh?"

Juugo smiled and simply shook his head. The girl laughed and stared to the sky. She spun around in a big circle, and hopped to a spot on the ground, "This is my spot! You can see the sky perfectly!" Juugo nodded, and Sasuke just watched, then jumped onto an overhead branch. Suigetsu raised his hands and cupped his mouth with the other, "I'll be staying over here!"

"Why're you so far away, Suigetsu-san?" Juugo questioned quietly. Somehow, Suigetsu heard and laughed dramatically, "Why would I want to stay over there? Karin stinks! She hasn't bathed in days!"

"Yeah, right!" The girl yelled back, "I took one last night, and I'm taking another tonight!" Karin growled, unzipping her jacket enough to where she could cool off, then looked to Juugo, "Don't listen to him, Juugo-san..." Juugo politely smiled, "I won't." Karin giggled and opened her bag to pull out a portable sleeping mat.

"Who's got guard duty first, Sasuke-kun?"

"Juugo said he would take the first shift; I'll take second," he replied from his spot in the towering tree. Karin nodded, "I'll take-"

"I'll take third!" Suigetsu bellowed. Karin huffed, "And I'll take last." Sasuke nodded and looked to the surrounding trees. The redhead glared at Suigetsu as he stretched like a cat and sat down to lean back on a tree trunk. Juugo began his shift and walked off to keep guard; Karin saw that all was well and picked up her bag.

"I'll be taking a bath, don't get any funny ideas!" Karin yelled, "But you're welcome, Sasuke-kun..." The raven didn't even look her way; she giggled and skipped to a nearby source of water. Much to her liking, it was a natural spring rather than a cold river. It was perfect for the temperatures. Karin smiled and stood behind a large boulder to discard her clothing and set her glasses down. She sneaked over to the water and stepped in, shivering at the contact. Upon feeling goosebumps decorate her sickly white skin, she tiptoed and swam into the depths of the dark water.

After washing off and getting her share of relaxation, Karin dried off and redressed. She made sure everything was in her satchel and started back to her party's campsite. She put her things down and peered upward, "Ahh..." She threw her hands up, "There's nothing better than relaxing on a night like this..." She removed her glasses once more and turned in, getting comfy in her little sleeping bag to drift off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

"Karin," Suigetsu called, squatting down beside her. The Hozuki had just finished his shift, and Karin's turn was next; he touched her shoulder and lightly shook her. For once, he wasn't going to be mean and wake her up abruptly. Truth was, he only picked on her as much as he did because he kinda thought she looked cute when she was angry... Not that he'd ever admit that- no way! He also picked on her because she was annoying, too, but that was beyond obvious. He stopped his shaking movement and watched her as she rolled off her side onto her back in her sleep. Her red hair looked a bit messy around her pale face. Her jacket was unzipped a bit, enough to show a number of odd bite marks on her milky white skin. Under the moonlight, she looked different. Suigetsu couldn't quite put his finger on what looked different, but she just did. The brilliance of her facial features just seemed oddly... divine. He smiled casually and glowered a bit, looking passed her to the ground.

It was well passed two in the morning; Suigetsu sighed and placed his hand on her arm to shake her once more. He called her name lightly until she opened her eyes and stretched. Karin picked up her glasses and looked at him unhappily. She stood and threw her bag on her arm before looking to him, "Get to bed."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Suigetsu yelled, "You aren't my mom!" Karin rubbed her eyes and put her glasses on, "Seriously. Go to bed, so you won't be so damn irritable when we head out." Suigetsu grumbled, "I'm not irritable, I simply started talking to _you._" Karin laughed at him and nodded before walking off, "Whatever, Suigetsu."

The redhead walked down a pathway, not really "guarding" while on guard duty, instead, simply going for a leisure walk. _Wow, it's so beautiful out!_ Karin sighed, thinking onward, _Now that I see how pretty it is out here... I kinda wish we didn't have to leave in the morning. Maybe I can stay here whenever Sasuke's found his brother... I'm not sure if I'll have great access to all the needed supplies, though. Oh, that reminds me: I haven't practiced any Necromancy in days! Well... no one's around, so now is the best time, I suppose._ Karin looked around and, coincidentally, found a tent within the distance. She sighed and began walking over to it._ Seeing as how they're in a tent, it more than less means they're alive... hopefully they're asleep though. _The redhead approached the tent silently; she was thankful that they'd set a lantern out, otherwise, she probably wouldn't have seen it. Karin unzipped the tent opening quietly, and it revealed a female that looked about her age, maybe a bit older. The girl slept on her back, a serene expression decorating her features. With a deep breathe, Karin slightly straddled the young girl and gripped her throat, applying the utmost amount of pressure she could.

The beating under her sweaty palms was quick at first; the girl's eyes fluttered open in shock and she bore holes into Karin's head with her vicious glare. Karin looked back stoically, watching while the female clawed at the grip around her neck. Her blonde hair seemed tangled around her head and gave the appearance of a savage; she tried to release a yell, but failed. Slow, agonizing moments later, the beating pulse came to a slow until it eased to a standstill. Karin stood and through the tent's doorway, she dragged the corpse out onto the ground. Karin stood back and gazed to the body.

_Okay, first, I have to walk a circle around it, then trace the circle with fluid. I have water, so that part is covered. Then, for the offering, something small should do; she was just killed after all. _Karin glanced around, then growled. _I'll give blood as the offering, I suppose; and I have to contribute spices. I shouldn't have to use many because she wasn't actually buried. After that, everything should be set._ The girl nodded and walked a circle around the body; she pulled a water bottle out of her bag and poured water out in the formation of a large circle. Karin pulled a kunai from her kunai holster and hesitated. _I can't cut my hand... Even though I can heal it, it'll leave a scar, and I'll never hear the end of it from Suigetsu... Well, it'll have to do. There aren't any smaller animals running around to sacrifice._ The female pierced her hand quickly and held it over the body; the red liquid slipped from her hand and fell downward. Karin held her other hand over her wound and used a weak healing jutsu to close the laceration. The redhead raided her supply bag and pulled out small jars of rosemary and cinnamon in powdered forms. She scooped a handful of both and mixed them around in her palm before tossing the blend above the corpse. She shut the jars closed and put them away, setting her bag to the side.

The adolescent dropped to her knees before the carcass and performed a hand sign and laid her hands upon the soil. Within moments, the body arose and stood on its feet. Karin smiled and stood also, "Heh, not too shabby!" For a Necromancer, zombies, ghouls, lichs, spectres, wraiths, and swamplights were all subject to skills of conjuration- zombies and ghouls being the most prone. When anything was conjured, the Necromancer was to make a willpower check, which was simply keeping one's self control and behavior in correct ascendancy. If one released their focus from their willpower as they raised something from the dead, they were fain to giving in to the matter revived. Example, in the case of raising a zombie, if one lost concentration while focusing on their willpower as they conjured, the corporeality could easily overpower the Necromancer and reek havoc among the world; without command of a Necromancer, the body creates its own will. Of course, over time the conjuration would deteriorate, and it would lay to rest once more.

"Well... since I raised you, I shouldn't waste your presence... You, peasant!" The living dead jerked its head to Karin and she smiled accordingly, "Fetch me food." Ergo, the corpse turned and walked from Karin's sight. It grew quiet, and Karin noticed how clouds had begun rolling in from the distance, staining the pretty array of stars in the sky. She grabbed her bag cautiously and automatically froze upon hearing what sounded like the snapping of a twig. She sniffed quietly before staggering back, glancing to the source of new chakra.

"Karin! What the hell was all of that?" Suigetsu popped into her vision with expression of shock, concern, and what appeared to be either interest or disgust. _How the fuck did I not sense him before?_

"S-Suigetsu... What're you talking-"

"You... you killed her! And then you... you... brought her back to life! Explain what all just happened now!" He yelled and ran a hand through his hair. His fang rested atop his bottom lip. Karin gawked at him in shock, eventually managing to stutter out: "N-no, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did, I stood there and watched!" He retorted angrily. Karin looked down in frustration. _How am I going to get out of this...?_

_

* * *

_

:D

I love writing this. It's fun.

Chapter three will be up shortly, thanks for reading.

Adieu~! c:


	3. Nightmares and Favors

Hiya. :D I've been on a writing roll lately! Yosh! I wrote a double drabble. I figured out the storyline for this story and for _It's Beginning to Get to Me _(well... some)_._

I'm hoping to get this story finished up before school starts (in thirteen days! D':)... once it does, I probably won't be able to write much. I'm going to have to take advanced classes because this new school I'm going to is college-prep, meeeeeaaaning I'll be studying harder than usual. After last years final report card... I've brought it upon myself to do better. ^^'

Anyways, 'nuff about me!

I only nothing but the plot!

Here's chapter three.

Enjoy~!

* * *

Karin was figuratively frozen; her heart raced the fastest it ever had. She felt a blush creep over her features. It was as deep a red as her crimson hair and eyes. Her knees shook together, and anticipation nipped at her skin like the cold air of the late night.

_Oh, God... I was so distracted I didn't even sense him- me, a **sensory** ninja! _She took a step back and felt her jaw drop a bit when she looked passed Suigetsu. The female's corpse was walking towards them with what appeared to be a small bag in hand.

_What will he... what will he do, now that he knows?_

"Karin, answer me!" He spat loudly. She jumped a bit as the corpse neared them. Suigetsu stared at it when it bumped into his arm and trudged in front him. The girl handed Karin a bag of chips, and Karin gingerly took them. She released its willpower and the carcass fell to the ground, dead. Suigetsu glared from it, up to her shocked face. Karin saw his jaws relax, meaning he had stopped clenching his teeth; he stepped toward her, saying: "Karin... just tell me." The redhead took another step back for each he took forward, and eventually she thought of what to do. Karin glared at him angrily and punched him in the jaw before turning to sprint as hard as she could back to their camp. The boy simply watched, dumbfounded.

_His face- it didn't disintegrate into water this time. _Karin glowered at the night sky; the clouds were streaked across the sky, staining the seemingly perfect picture. The girl was frantic. Upon every noise heard as she ran, she couldn't help but jerk her head over to investigate. She knew Suigetsu would probably be right around the side of a tree trunk, just waiting for her. She knew it was coming...

But it didn't. She reached the campsite after what felt like forever, threw her bag down and her glasses atop it, then jumped into her sleeping bag, still shaking from the encounter.

When she awoke, everything seemed normal, but... off. Sasuke had built a fire, and he and Juugo sat beside it barely speaking, and when they did, their lips appeared oddly still. She arose and put her glasses on, brushed her hair down and walked over to her comrades. The trees surrounding casted shadows; the multiple stretches of darkness ran from the light. The cowardly darkness... Karin looked up. The clouds had apparently moved out. _Maybe the weather will look up for us after all._

"Good morning, Juugo-san, Sasuke-kun," she said, standing before them. The two didn't look up, and she waved her hands in front of them. They stared passed her at a , their lips moving in the same odd notion, possessively.

"They know now, Karin..." The redhead snapped her head to the right as Suigetsu stepped into the light, grinning at her cunningly. He laughed, "They know." His smile appeared demonic. It reminded her of a sinister Glasgow smile, stretching from ear to ear sickly... The Hozuki occurred physically twisted; his voice was treacherous. Karin's eyes widened in disbelief. _I knew the bastard would tell them, I fucking knew it!_ She staggered back and slipped and fell to the ground. Suigetsu stood over her and shone his shiny, white, razor-like teeth. Juugo and Sasuke, crawled towards her; and she noticed Sasuke's eyes- his horrible eyes. His activated Sharigan spun round and round crazily... Juugo suddenly reached forward and grabbed Karin's throat, crushing her airways; Suigetsu took hold of his Decapitating Carving Blade with ease, motioning to her lean abdominal with the agonizingly sharp end and laughed once more.

"You truly are worthless, Karin," Sasuke said quietly. The redhead shook her head, screaming- pleading Suigetsu to rethink. Screaming anything and everything, to make it all stop. With a cackle, Suigetsu reared back, and in lightning speed, cut across, slicing into-

"Don't do it!" Karin yelled, quickly awaking from her slumber. The girl felt tears slide down her cheeks.

"What's up with you?" Came the voice. Karin flinched- it was Suigetsu. She lowered her head to hide her face and wipe her tears without anyone seeing. A pair of sandal-ridden feet stepped before her and she jumped.

"Look at you!" Suigetsu laughed, "You're all jumpy and shit. And when you were asleep, you were crying like a baby." Karin didn't respond. _He had to have told them. That was just a dream, but it's in Suigetsu's character to tell things like that just to embarrass me._ The female reached to her side and put her glasses on. She stood and walked right on passed the taunting boy. Suigetsu blinked in confusion; had she really just ignored an insult? An insult from_ him? _Karin looked around- everything was exactly like her dream except the skies, which were a deep, depressing grey. Juugo and Sasuke sat by the fire silently, watching Karin walk toward them. She tried to greet them, but her vocal cords didn't comply, she only mouthed it. Juugo saw and nodded in response, the raven at his side stared, waiting for her to swoon over him, like usual. But to his favor, she didn't. She simply walked by he and Juugo and took seat on a branch high in the sky and sat quietly.

"Is... Sasuke, is she okay?" Juugo asked.

"Just savor the silence, Juugo, savor it..." He replied.

* * *

_I can't really pick out what's been different. Since Suigetsu told Juugo and Sasuke, I figured... you know, they'd treat me differently. _Karin kicked a pebble as she walked ahead of the group, a bit in front of Sasuke. The rest of the group noticed her odd behavior, especially Suigetsu. Every time he made a smart ass comment toward her, it was like it flew in one ear and out the other... that, and because the previous night... Suigetsu knew something was off, and he didn't like it. Karin was part of the Team Hebi, everyday routine, and her silence was killing him from the inside out.

"We'll stop here," Sasuke said. Karin stopped and once he was in front of her, she followed him as he lead the group through the gates of a small village to a little restaurant. Karin looked to the side, watching as people walked to and fro between shops and homes and street vendors. She wondered if the girl from last night lived here, or if she was related to any of them, but just shrugged it off. It wasn't like she cared anyways.

"Karin," Sasuke muttered, "What do you want?" The redhead shrunk under his gaze and shook her head. He sighed and cracked a small, small, almost invisible smile, and replied: "Breakfast is the most important. What do you want?" She pursed her lips, thinking the menu over, "Just steamed rice and a rolled omelet." He nodded and told the chef. Within five minutes, the party's food was presented to them on paper plates. The chef gestured them to the right, over to a cluster of empty tables and chairs. The black-haired boy thanked them and they sat down. Karin knitted her eyebrows together upon seeing what all Suigetsu had ordered. Three platters full of various foods... that weren't even breakfast foods sat before him in their imminent doom.

"What're you staring at?" Suigetsu snipped. Karin made noise of disapproval, "Uhh, right, so says the freak who's been looking at me every five seconds throughout today..." And it was true. Ever since the start of the morning, Karin had caught Suigetsu stealing second-long glances... repeatedly. She couldn't tell why, but she knew it was pretty weird.

"You know, you can be considerate of other people's wallets..." Karin mumbled, grimacing at Suigetsu. _All that food must cost a damn fortune! _His lip twitched, "I'm a growing boy, I need to eat. Plus, I'm surprised you didn't get this much, considering your... _size." _Karin glared at Suigetsu and was thankful he sat across from her as she kicked him in the shin.

"I'm far from fat, asshole." If she was fat, she wouldn't wear the apparel she did. Karin looked to Juugo, who had ordered some type of soup, and Sasuke as he looked down upon a simple bowl of rice.

That was usually all what everyone ordered; Suigetsu always got the most, and he and Karin _always_ fought about it. It was seemingly required. Breakfast was decently quiet, minus the occasional outbreaks between the two trouble children. Karin finished and threw her plate away swiftly though. She stood at the end of the table and looked to Juugo and Sasuke and said: "I'm going for a walk." They just nodded. It wasn't odd for Karin to head off on her own. Before she walked away, she caught sight of Suigetsu as he began shoveling food into his trap faster than before. It made Karin walk away quicker than she had planned.

* * *

Karin sighed as she paced through the village gates. She simply followed the path, not knowing where it would lead her. She'd end up turning around and going back the way she came anyway. _By the events that have taken place throughout today... I've concluded that Suigetsu really didn't tell anyone. _Karin crossed her arms, pondering the subject. _Though I'm completely... **completely** fine with that, it makes me wonder why. It seems he's always wanted to, well, destroy me through embarrassment, he got his chance... but he passed it up? Doesn't sound like Suigetsu to me in the least._

"Hey, slow down!" Karin stopped, and turned just as Suigetsu pranced to her side. Her eyes widened and she looked away before he caught glimpse of her worried expression.

"What's been your problem today?" He asked.

"What's been yours?" She retorts, "You've been looking at me as if I've grown a second head." Suigetsu looked at her, then to the ground. _Holy shit! Is he blushing?_ Karin bit back a comment.

"I've just... j-just wondered what..." It grew quiet, and Karin herself felt a blush decorate her features in synchronization with the Hozuki. They both looked in opposite directions, and she heard Suigetsu sigh, then say: "I just want to know."

"Know what, Suigetsu?" She demanded a bit harshly.

"What happened last night," he replied and stopped, grabbing her wrist loosely. Karin stopped, but pulled her arm away and held it close to herself. She turned to him and stared fiercely. His gaze matched her own.

"You really wanna know, huh?" She asked.

"Well, yeah, considering the way you ran away last night. That just irks me and makes me want to know even more," he said. She shook her head in shame, "If I tell you, you can't... don't degrade me for it."

"Karin, you think _I,_ of aaallll people, would degrade _you?"_ He asked, smiling. It was a joke, but her expression stayed hard, and his grin shrunk beneath her glare. He chuckled, "If you're that serious... I _guess_ I can hold my tongue."

"No, you have to be damn sure. I'm not fucking about this," she hissed angrily. His eyes widened and he nodded, "All right, all right... geez, Karin. I won't tell anyone."

"Good. Then..." Karin took a deep breath. She was about to reveal the secret she had withheld from anyone her whole life...

"I'm a Necromancer."

"You aren't shittin' around, are you?" The comment in general was rude, but his tone reflected disbelief. Of course, that wasn't something that caught Karin off guard. She simply shook her head and looked at her feet, "I'm sure you remember last night." Suigetsu nodded in response and watched her, but she avoided his gaze. _I'm surprised he hasn't insulted me for it all..._

"-t's kinda cool..." Suigetsu complemented in a whisper. Karin jerked her gaze up to meet his own, "W-what?" He looked at her as if he hadn't said anything and shook his head, shaking the fact she hadn't been listening to him off, too.

"So... you won't tell anyone, right?" She asked, only to reassure herself. Suigetsu smirked, "Well... there's a catch."

"S-Suigetsu!"

_Damnit, I should've known I'd be digging myself into a hole after trusting him!_

_

* * *

_

Yaaaay! Chapter three. XD

I love writing this story, it's so fun! Weee~

Anywho, I hope you liked this chapter.

Reviews are loved!

Onto chapter four!

Adieu~! c:


	4. To the Ends of the World!

Hello! :D

I'm back with chapter four~! XD

Sad to say, this story is beginning to wrap itself up. There's gonna be one more chapter at least though! ...Maybe two, it just depends on how things play out.

I'm going to try to finish this before school starts (on monday -_-'), because if I let it roll into school... it'll probably never get finished. D; Or... it'll just take forever...

So! That being said, on with the show.

I don't own anything but the plot.

Enjoy~!

* * *

_I can't believe myself. I really ditched Sasuke to do Suigetsu a favor._ Karin shivered within the cool wind as it blew by her. Suigetsu was a mere foot in front of her, showing her the way to Kirigakure, more accurately known as the Village Hidden in Mist. They left Sasuke and Juugo to themselves two days earlier, and ever since, had been on their way there... of course, that long period of time called for Suigetsu's stupid water breaks and whenever he was "literally" and dramatically starving. Alas, Karin had had enough of it all. She was sick of stopping every five seconds when she only wanted to hurry up, finish their little side mission and get back to Sasuke and Juugo. Suigetsu took his sweet time enjoyably. He seemed like he was having the time of his life while picking and poking at his accomplice and stopping to see the sights and passing through cities with big, pretty lights.

But Suigetsu knew that Karin wasn't happy in her skin, and that was something that... oddly, just tugged at his heart somehow. He couldn't put it in words, but he knew the feeling well, as it was always in the back of his head. The Hozuki child found it weird that he was feeling this toward Karin of all people- sure, he thought she was pretty, but what was the deal? Why did he even care?

He just wasn't comfortable knowing that she wasn't comfortable.

"It's so freaking cold..." Karin whispered through her chattering teeth. Suigetsu stopped and the redhead unknowingly, ran straight into him. She shoved him forward, "What's your fucking problem?" Suigetsu's face reflected hurt... and for a second Karin regretted using the tone she had. The blue-haired boy's eyes widened, but then his eyebrows furrowed. "I was thinking about trying to keep you warm, but since you can't stop yelling at me for one damn second, I don't think so!" He faces forward and walks on, Karin simply watched shocked to no end.

"Hey! Get your ass back here!" She yelled. Karin huffed and ran to catch up with him; she grabbed his hand, and it effectively stopped him in his tracks.

"Shit, you _are_ cold..." Suigetsu mused, "A-anyway, what do you want?"

"What do you mean 'what do I want?' You said you were thinking about trying to help keep me warm... you can't say something like that and not follow through with it," Karin replied quietly.

"Then I said I wouldn't 'cause you can't keep your trap shut!" Suigetsu yanked his hand away.

"I didn't yell at you just then. See? Progress."

"That doesn't count!" He protested. Karin shook her head and began to walk away, "God, just... never mind... I think-" A thick blush crept over Karin's face when Suigetsu cut her off by pulling her waist to his from behind. His strong arms wrapped around her smaller frame with ease, and he placed his chin on her clothed shoulder.

"Happy?" He muttered in her ear.

"I-I appreciate t-the gesture, but we should probably get out of the cold, then it would be more effective..." Karin actually stuttered. As soon as she uttered that sentence, her blush increased even more and she winced at the flustered tone of voice she was producing. How could Suigetsu, of all people, make her feel so vulnerable like that while not even trying...?

"R-right..." As quickly as he withheld her, he gently released her and started ahead. Karin faltered at the loss of his presence and felt her shaky jaw drop a bit.

"Suigetsu!" She fixed her glasses and walked to his side. Hesitantly, she slipped her hand in his and looked away from him, muttering: "My hand is a little cold... so, yeah."

"Yeah..." The awkward air was tantalizingly annoying...

But Suigetsu and Karin secretly loved it.

* * *

"A bed!" Karin beamed while pouncing on the said object. "I haven't layed on a real _bed_ in ages! Ahh, how I miss civilized living..." She rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. Karin heard Suigetsu walk in and shut the door. The male sweatdropped upon seeing his travel accomplice taking up the whole bed. He sighed and realized he should've just payed the extra ten bucks to get a room with two beds.

"This place isn't too bad... It smells like old people though," Karin observed. Suigetsu chuckled and silently agreed before setting his water bottle and sword down.

"I think Sasuke should let us stay in hotels like this instead of... sleeping outside," Karin mumbled.

"I thought you loved nature though."

"I do! It's just... I don't like sleeping in it..." Karin sheepishly giggled. The boy sat on the foot of the bed and stared at the ground. The room they rented was dim-lighted. There was a table, bathroom, the bed, and a nightstand with a lamp. The lamp's shade was absent, and the actual lightbulb appeared physically burst. And that was all. The dank room and one another.

"It's getting pretty late... I think I'll turn in here soon," Karin said while yawning. Suigetsu looked back to her and nodded, "You mind if I use your sleeping bag?"

"Umm... why?"

"Well, damn, do you want me to sleep on this nasty floor?" He pointed to the ground which had foreign objects scattered over it. The maintenance team apparently needed to pay more attention to their jobs.

"We both pitched our good money in for a bed, so... really? Just sleep with me." Karin's proposition brought the heat in Suigetsu's face. Blankly, he blinked and felt a weird feeling arise in his stomach. "Alright... I guess." Just the _thought _of that statement... Suigetsu pulled his shoes off and lie down with his hands behind his neck. He just so happened to glance over to Karin as she took her thigh-high zori off and felt his throat go dry. He never really realized it, but... Karin was oddly- as much as he hated to admit it, he found her naturally... well, beautiful. She glanced up, "What're you lookin' at?"

"I can't tell yet," he snapped. Then he added to his thoughts that her attitude seemed to cancel that all out a bit though.

"Shut up..." She removed her glasses and set them on the nightstand cautiously before wiggling under the covers. Suigetsu pulled his shoes off, too, and lie down beside her.

"Are you still cold?" He asked. There were a few moments of silence before Karin replied, "Yeah, a little." Karin felt her heart race when Suigetsu asked that, and it beat the fastest possible when she felt the bed move a bit as he scooted closer to her. Her skin crawled when his hand slipped over her hip and his other just above that; and he carefully pulled her towards his body.

Karin suddenly sat up and looked at him, "Have you been okay?"

"What...?"

"You've been... nicer, kind of. Have you been all right?"

"What? I try to act better and this happens? Jeez..._ bitch!_"

"Shut the hell up, I was just wondering!"

Suigetsu's jaw dropped a bit as he started again, "You know, you're-" Karin huffed while listening to him rant and without thinking, she took a fist full of his shirt into hand, and forced her lips onto his...

And it was like a deep, deep breath of fresh air.

Karin's eyes were clenched closed, but she relaxed a bit. That didn't keep her from wondering what the hell she was doing though. She pulled away and avoided his gaze, scanning the floor, "God, I fucking appreciate it, okay? Just shut up for once..."

* * *

The next morning, Karin and Suigetsu arrived in Kirigakure. Suigetsu lead the way, of course, and in good timing they made it to their destination.

___"So... you won't tell anyone, right?" She asked, only to reassure herself. Suigetsu smirked, "Well... there's a catch."_

___"S-Suigetsu!" Karin felt herself begin to panic. What could he have possibly wanted back? Suigetsu chuckled, "Jeez, you act like it's gonna kill you to do me a simple favor."_

___"People usually ask for favors, not threaten people for them!" Karin hissed, "What could you possibly want anyways?"_

___"Just for you to bring my brother back. I want to see him again." Karin's heart skipped a beat, and her features softened. She'd forgotten that he had a brother... he must miss him a lot, Karin knew she missed her family... the said girl emitted a sigh, "I guess I can do that... you don't tell __****__anyone____ about this though!"_

___"Hey, hey! I know, Karin! Would you really doubt me?" Karin shook her head at the irony._

Suigetsu had filled Karin in on the details, and she wanted to back out. His brother had been dead for years- that fact alone doubled the need of requirements to raise him. Karin knew she'd end up needing to replenish her stock on supplies. Finding tool for Necromancy could be pretty difficult, but... as weird as it sounded, she really felt the need to help him out.

"You're really making me do this?" Suigetsu asked unhappily.

"Well, surely you aren't expecting me to," Karin fanned her fingers out to inspect her nails for any uncleanliness. "I mean, you _are_ the one who _by brute force_ made me walk all the way to Kiri for a stupid favor. You can't be thinking little me could do _mens'_ work." Of course, any other day, Karin would proclaim she can do any type of mens' work, being a confident feminist. She heard Suigetsu groan and watched as he walked away. Said man observed his surroundings and stroked his chin, shovel in hand. He smile happily, remembering where his brother had been buried, thanks to his nosiness as a child. Whenever his brother died, no one went to the funeral. Suigetsu himself was heartbroken hearing of his brother's new status... but that didn't stop him from sneaking out and following his parents as they buried him. Suigetsu pushed the memories away, set his water bottle down and began digging.

Karin sat nearby, yawning and sighing periodically. Coincidentally, on their way to the grave site, they came across a shovel to their advantage. Of course, they had to take it without the owner knowing. Being the oh so bright one, Suigetsu decided that since they would be taking it, he should leave an IOU note with a doodle of himself holding a thumbs up on it. Karin found it to be retarded, frankly, but she just pushed him onward. Traveling with Suigetsu was odd- certainly different from when she and he were with Juugo and Sasuke; she had a feeling things would be weird whenever they reunited with their companions. She groaned. It probably _did_ seem that they both eloped over night to Sasuke and Juugo... and, in a sense, they kinda did, but not with intent to stay together and be all lovey-dovey and mushy and stuff...

Well... they _did _kiss...

_WE ELOPED?_ Karin's eyes widened. She'd never thought of it _that_ way till then... and she wished she hadn't have. She was snatched from her thoughts upon hearing an irritated huff escape Suigetsu.

"It's soo hot!" Suigetsu complained. The redhead rolled her eyes and pulled a book out of her satchel, reading quietly. It was odd, the weather patterns. Suigetsu blamed being so much closer to the ocean as the reason for the tropical temperatures, but he was just guessing. The previous day, they had been in the Southern parts of Konoha, and it was _freezing! _...As Karin had physically clarified herself... He shrugged it off; the weather always confused him anyway.

Suigetsu's face fell when she ignored him; yeah, he was working, but that didn't mean all had to be silent... He scrunched his nose. The smell of dirt wasn't exactly pleasant- it was musty and stuffy and malodorous... just _ick,_ to sum it up. Being beneath the surface made everything seem even hotter if possible as Suigetsu shoveled and shoveled, cursing his dad for burying his brother so deep. Said boy peeped over the side of his hole at Karin, "Karin! Get my water!" Karin rolled her eyes and glanced at the bottle before crawling over to it, "Why the hell did you randomly decide to set it down?"

He hadn't meant to, really, but he came up with a smart-ass reply, so he used it. giggled, "So you can serve me, duh!" Karin's fury flamed and she chucked it at him, smacking him right in the forehead. Suigetsu patted his face before grabbing his drink and slurping away, stalling.

Till Karin noticed of course and forced work back upon his shoulders.

The process certainly lasted longer that what Suigetsu had previously assumed; once his shovel smacked something hollow, his face lit up in utter joy. He persuaded Karin to help him get the coffin out. He sighed, satisfied with himself and motioned to the latches that held him from his brother. Karin, as quick as lightning, grabbed his wrists and pushed him back a little. "You know what you're getting into, right?"

"More or less."

"You understand that he won't look the same, right? He's decayed for years. And his hair will probably be all nasty and grown out... and his skull could show through or something alike that."

"Egh... well, that's caused me to lose my appetite for the day... but, aside, yes, I know." He smiled and winked confidently, like his usual self. She sighed, "You know we're going to have to make a blood sacrifice, right?"

"W-wait, what? That's easy... but let me emphasize on the question of _why?_" He gawked.

"Well... whenever you give someone something, in general, you expect something back, no?" She released his wrists.

"It depends... I mean, if it-"

"In general, Suigetsu."

"Oh yeah... sure, I guess."

"It's a lot like that. If you want something, you must give something in return," she explained. He nodded understandingly. "Okay, I get that, but what about last time? You didn't kill anyone as a sacrifice."

Karin held a finger up. "Time plays a roll in it, too. The longer the corpse has been lifeless, the more blood is needed. The less amount of time, a lesser amount of blood required." His expression contorted, then returned normal, only to twist in thought right afterward. He shrugged, letting it go, "Okay, let's get on with it."

"Excuse you! Be nice or else."

"Or else _what?" _Suigetsu raised a brow. The girl did the same and lifted a foot over her brother's coffin.

"Oooh, I'm scared." Karin's lip twitched at his smart-ass remark, and she lowered her foot, knowing that he'd back out.

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

"... I'm waiting."

"Can we continue, Karin?"

"..." She stared at him.

He groaned, his patience beginning to wear thin. "Please?" Karin nodded happily and skipped over to him. He watched her with a pained look, and and felt his jaw drop when she ripped his drink from his hands. "H-hey, you be nice, too!" Karin shot him a death glare and he immediately shut his yap. Said girl smiled in content, then looked to the coffin. _First, walk a circle, then go around once more; pour water while doing so the latter time around._ The redhead walked around the coffin, then repeated the notion while tracing her footsteps in his precious water.

"Well, chop, chop!" Karin throws him a blank glance and stomps, "Get a random person and hurry back." Suigetsu sweatdropped, but nodded and ran off nevertheless. The girl set his water bottle down and once he returned with an unconscious body in hand, she held her hips in disappointment. Suigetsu blinked.

"You killed him?" She tapped her toes.

"No, he's knocked out though," he replied, "God, what kind of person do you take me for? I'm not that stupid... you need a _sacrifice._" Karin directed him to place the male atop the coffin.

"Not _that_ stupid, I give you that." She smiled shrewdly, and waved him to the side. It grew quiet.

"Waaait! I'm not stupid at all!" He yelled in realization to her last statement. Karin snickered to herself and pulled a kunai out of her bag. The girl moistened her lips, feeling Suigetsu's gaze upon her. He watched her the last time, so why was she nervous this time? She shook her head along with the thought, and steadied the utensil at the knocked out male's throat before slitting it quickly. Karin threw it down by herself and raided through her bag, pulling out jars of ground clove, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. Grabbing a handful of each, she mixed them in her palm and threw the concoction over the bloody sight before her. She slipped the little jars bag into her bag and glanced to Suigetsu.

She felt her body freeze in utter shock; and Suigetsu turned away swiping at his eyes with his arm. "Th-there's something in my eye, just shut up..."

"S-Suigetsu..." He, the stoic, level-headed Suigetsu, was... _crying?_ He looked to her through the corner of his eye, "Well, go on! Do it already, bring Mangetsu back!" She jumped at his demand, a bit startled. She turned forward and shut her eyes. _That's how much his brother means to him, huh...?_ Karin bit her lip before dropping to her knees and making a hand sign. She lay her hands upon the coffin and it began glowing with a blue color. She did a willpower check and shoved the sacrificial corpse off the box. She unlatched it, and the top swung open by its own will, releasing a putrid odor. Karin gagged a bit, even though she was around the scent a lot, she never grew accustomed to it. How the hell could she, it was rotting flesh after all.

She stepped to the side. "Arise, Mangetsu." Suigetsu hadn't moved from his spot. He simply stared, and since Karin had already seen, he didn't bother to contain his emotion. The two ninja watched as the corpse arose, and Karin blinked in surprise. His body hadn't decayed as badly as she had assumed; of course, his skin was discolored and his skin wasn't in the best of conditions... Insects and such surrounded him the coffin and crawled upon him; Mangetsu opened his eyes and stood. Those eyes were exactly like Suigetsu's...

Karin was befuddled. The temperatures in Kiri were that of a tropical climate's, so, though she was happy about it, she didn't see how Mangetsu hadn't decomposed. Sure, he was buried pretty deep, and that tended to slow decay down, but bugs were present, so it couldn't have been so deep that the moisture kept him from decomposing as quickly...

"Suigetsu." Mangetsu locked his vision upon his younger sibling and lifted his arms, presenting himself. Suigetsu rubbed his eyes and walked towards him, "Brother... what happened to you?"

"What do you mean? Mother and Father didn't tell you?" A smooth smirk crossed over his face.

"H-hell no! Those bastards didn't even want me to go with them to bury you!" Suigetsu yelled in a furious rage. Mangetsu placed his rotting hand on Suigetsu's shoulder and sighed, "It was for the best."

"How so?" Suigetsu pryed. This made Mangetsu laugh in return.

"I don't see what's so damn funny, Mangetsu!"

"If you knew... it would drive you into becoming... something you aren't; let's simply not speak of it, Brother." Suigetsu shook his head and scanned the ground.

"How old are you now?" Mangetsu asked. Suigetsu raised his eyebrows, "Sixteen."

"Oh, really? It's been a good five years then..." He said. "You haven't changed much." Finally, a smile stretched across Suigetsu's face. Mangetsu suddenly looked to Karin with a smile of his own. "Except for the fact that you... have a girlfriend! Aww, I'm so proud, my little brother is growing up!"

"N-no!" They called in unision, blushing furiously.

"It's okay, you have my blessing, Suigetsu... She's cute."

"I wish Suigetsu was more like you, he goes around calling me fat and stuff!" Karin yelled unhappily. Mangetsu sent his brother a condescending glance and Suigetsu smiled sheepishly. "I'm working on it..."

"Yeah, right, Sui-"

A shrill gasp echoed in their ears. Karin spun on her heel to the source, finding a by-passer running opposite of their general direction frantically. "Shit! We have to go, Suigetsu!"

"W-wait!"

"That lady is turning us in as we speak; there's no telling how the commoners will react."

"She's right, Suigetsu," Mangetsu gave him a peaceful smile, "Be well, Brother." The corpse stepped in his coffin.

"No, this can't happen!" Suigetsu looked to Karin panicked, "Do something!"

"We have to run, Suigetsu!" Karin yelled grabbing Suigetsu's water bottle and throwing it to him. Suigetsu only stared at his brother in horror as he was figuratively being ripped away from his brother once more.

"Farewell, Suigetsu."

"M-Mangetsu!" Suigetsu yelled. Karin looked back as people arose in the distance. She grabbed Suigetsu's arm and began pulling him along hastily, but he didn't register, simply watched as Mangetsu waved him off and lie down before shutting the top of the casket. Karin felt the effect of Suigetsu's emotion mixed with the adrenaline and tension spinning around her. She felt sick, too, but it had nothing to do with the current situation...

She just wondered if Suigetsu knew about Mangetsu whether he would pursue the criminal... Because, the whole time the spoke with Suigetsu, she held her breath in fear for his reaction if he found out... From what she could tell, Mangetsu was murdered. The bodily tears and scars in his back proved so, telling his haunting tale all themselves as they reach up his back- upward to the skies, just searching for the simple reason as to why.

* * *

Sorry that it's been so long since an update. I typed out this whole chapter, and... since my unlucky charm decided to rear its ugly head... I ended up accidentally erasing it. ALL OF IT.

OMO, I WAS SO PISSED! So... that upseted me, and it made me not want to retype the whole thing... inspiration just drained out of me...

u_u

But it's okay now! I like this version better anywaaay.

Well, I hope you liked it! I know I did, ohohoho~! XD;

Till chapter five!

Adieu~! c:


	5. Back to Routine

I won't spoil the ending for you guys. ;D

I don't really have much to say this time, haha. Bottom line: sorry for the delay. Thank God that this Labor Day Weekend came along, and I coincidentally have no homework. My Algebra two teacher likes to give us enough homework to set us for days. "Fills us to our heart's content," as he thinks. Thanks for waiting on this though!

My birthday is Wednesday, so my parents decided they'd let me lay around the house and waste hours on the internet like a tard. c: Yay for getting old. Not. My life is escapin' meh. D;

Anywho, I own nothing but the plot.

Enjoy~! c:

P.S. I'm a bit out of practice. Sorry if it's suckish.. TT^TT *Sobs.*

* * *

It was like a carousel of colors, her thoughts and worries as they spun around her head. There was simply sheer silence and nothingness. There was no Suigetsu by her. There was no visible object. She wondered if she was dead. If she was, she could tell she was gonna get bored pretty quickly, just sitting in darkness, bored and depressed. Karin sighed and shook her head, sitting up; that couldn't be death. Blinking her eyes, she realized her glasses were missing. "Aww, fuck..." The redhead rolled onto her knees, patting the ground. She didn't want to end up stepping on them like a dunce, so she simply slid her hands along, tracing things before her. Suddenly, the agonizingly bright light flickered to life, shining like the midday sun.

"Looking for these, Wench?" Karin looked up quickly to a man as he towered above her. She gritted her teeth, "Give them back, douche bag!"

"Feisty, eh?" He chuckled, "Can't have that." And with a loud series of crunching noises, Karin felt her heart drop. The girl's fury flame as she lunged to his ankles nearby her, her chin colliding with the harsh, concrete ground. A squeak of pain was heard; and the man simply stepped away before kicking her recklessly in the shoulder, scarcely missing her face. He scattered the remnants of her glasses over her and leaned over before grasping her hands and tying them together. "Heartless bitch... what made you want to commit a crime that's centuries gone?"

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, old man. If Necromancy was dead, I _wouldn't_ have done it; therefore, it's far from dead. Now, fuck off, I'm sick of your nasty face."

"Ha! Defy me, will you?" The man loomed above the girl, who was crumpled upon the floor like trash. She pushed herself up with her wrists before being punched roughly; the force threw her onto her side, and her hand flew to the injury. The taste of blood was apparent inside her mouth from her cheek being gashed by her teeth sharply; tears stung her eyes, and she wondered why she felt so weak. _Damn... what's wrong with me?_ She sat up languidly, her hair messily tossed into her delicate, pale face.

"I'm glad you're here... Not long and you'll be screwing with the devil like the whore you are," he remarked.

"I would debate with you about the fact that there's no devil, but I have to ask, what the _fuck_ are you talking about?" Karin questioned weakly like a sick and frail child as she wiped blood from her parched lips. It finally hit her; she was in a genuine jail cell. Not of ninja, but... of actual criminals- rapists, serial killers, and hardcore killers.

"You can't even tell by the way I'm talking? Heheh, you're a mental one, eh?" As he laughed, his belly shook. _Suigetsu doesn't know fat till he sees _this_ guy..._ Karin's vision burned upon the bald man, and he shrugged his shoulders, sighing, "Let me spell it out: D-E-A-T-H-R-O-W. We're doing something special for you and your friend though... old fashioned guillotine, just for the villagers to see."

"You're a shithead if you think you're going to be able to go through with this, you faggot!" Karin growled, "God, I wish you'd just fucking die, you waste of sex!" Within the blink of an eye, her body combated with the stone wall, and she fell to the ground once more, physically defeated.

* * *

Daylight streamed across the redhead's face, as the large, bald male drug her out of her prison into the enveloping warmth of the sun beaming upon the Hidden Mist Village. The air smelled thickly of salt; her vision, blurred, due to her current hindered eyesight. She could still see the clouds in the sky as they simply floated with her in direction. The male yanked her over rocks, but her throat was numb, swollen, if she was correct. He had pummeled her, so it'd make since; chivalry was dead and gone in the present situation. There was no such thing as mercy, and the prison guard repeatedly expressed that. Her hands tied above her head, she attempted to escape, with vanity as result. Her body was sore; she didn't know what to do. She felt already dull and gray, her doom, imminent, the dark clothed figure simply waiting at the worn and wooden guillotine. She had to smile at the irony; and she wondered if another Necromancer would happen to raise her one day. She figured not, unless it was someone like Sasuke, Juugo, hell, maybe even Suigetsu if he made it out. She figured not with this hypothesis also. They would care less. Air played upon her lips in long, slow breaths. She told the man she'd get away, she was so sure... but her reinforced thoughts seemed to merely spin in climax, then disappear as an odd magic trick. Her motivation was gone. She knew she wasn't good with offensive fighting. She was just a sensory ninja and Necromancer.

How would those traits help her against nimbly dodging death? Presently, the answer certainly wasn't nearby.

"Ready to burn in hell, Wench?" He asks, pulling her body through a bustling mob of people that stood around an odd platform. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was how God or Satan or whoever was proving to her that there's a place to go after death. Maybe she'd just always been destine to simply... burn within her own sorrows. She wasn't sure, but it wasn't exactly void. Stopping atop the platform, Karin's lean legs dangle off the small, steep stairs. That was it. She was about to actually die, the Necromancer herself. A sigh crept through her lips, as she stared to the firmament above her. The clouds scraped the skies longingly, running away from the sight of her. The guillotine peeked into her view proudly, the large, beheading blade shining brilliantly in its horrid infamy. The man clenched her throat and held her up, showing her to the audience, which was releasing satisfied yells and commands and mockeries. _Is this how that so called prophet, Jesus, felt?_

Karin winced in utter pain, in mental aspects, when placed beneath the intimidating knife; the only thing separating her from death was air. Sweet, sweet, vulnerable and fragile air. Sweet, sweet, transparent and unreliable air. A simple ten or so feet vertically in measurements, and that was it. The roar of the crowd rose in octave easily, and the girl hung her head further. She never thought this would happen- never in mortal _eternity._

The man behind her took hold of the rope holding the blade up; he lifted a hand, "To death!" The townsfolk laughed and complied simultaneously: "To death!" Those words rang in her ears, nullifying any thought, speculation, admiration- everything- within her being.

"Took the words right outta my mouth, fat ass!" She must've been hallucinating; it's odd: she thought of Suigetsu as she was about to die. She felt herself smile. Even among the thin brinks of death, he could make her smile. His voice sounded just as it had earlier that day... confident and cocky, yet stoic and cooled, like usual.

"Well, damn, Karin-" The chopping of air was heard and _slosh!_ Karin's eyes widened as the sight of blood fell through the air before her, landing upon the wood and spectators of the crowd. The thick liquid splattered across the back of her jacket.

"You _wanna _die? Get the fuck up!" She steadied herself before standing, hearing as the mob groaned and roared in anger and horror. Her vision wasn't spot on, an her eyes probably lied to her... but she still smiled and felt a huge wave of relief bypass her soul. Her eyes rested upon the one and only, infamous Hozuki Suigetsu. His unique, beautiful, purple eyes beamed back at her with a fire that kindled brilliantly. The boy sheathed his bloodied sword before pulling her by the wrist, escaping that place gladly to reunite with Sasuke and Juugo.

* * *

"It's just a short stop, I promise. Short and nothing more, we have to get back," Karin said quietly. Suigetsu laughed, amused, "See? Everyone needs a stop every once in a while; it's not just me."

"Suigetsu, besides this time, it _is _just you," Karin replied. The redhead looked to him, a foreign expression sprawled across her pale features. She let the laugh fall off her lips more languidly as she stood above him. The duo were stopped nearby the inn that they had previously stayed in, but they decided that they'd walk through the night just in case any of the stupid guard scum confronted them somehow. Suigetsu was leaned against a large oak tree just beyond the village's gates, sipping at his canteen of nourishing water... nevertheless, he felt his throat go dry as Karin bent at the waist to him sexily before straddling his hips in shy demeanor. Needless to say, Suigetsu's relaxed expression lit up in surprise. He stared at her wide eyed, jaw dropped a bit upon feeling the odd sensation originating in his lower regions when she rubbed herself to him through their clothes. She kissed him roughly, taking fistfuls of hair into her delicate hold. His hands rested upon her sides to silently urge her onward. They both dwelt within deep, crimson red, flushed attire, growing hotter each taunting moment. The girl pulled away, struggling to receive her intake of air, and she stuttered, "T-thank you, Suigetsu... though I thought beforehand little of you, I think you're the person I'm closest to now. You're... it's weird to say, but you're my literal hero." Suigestu smiled in approval before holding her close.

* * *

With good timing, the couple managed to come across their other accomplices as they wondered aimlessly.

"Where the _hell_ have you two been?" Sasule growled in pure fury. Suigetsu and Karin sweatdropped, and Juugo sent them a look of worry, "Yeah... where _have_ you two been...?" The two caught a glimpse of one another and laughed. Suigetsu sighed.

"Oh... nowhere special."

Suigetsu gripped her hand and moistened his lips, "You're still fat."

"Suigetsu!"

_Life has meaning after all..._ The redhead smiled while chasing after Suigetsu... as normal routine stated.

* * *

Omo

It's been _SO_ long since I've updated...

And I've finally finished _How to Be Dead... o_o_ I planned on it being short before... but I'm still surprised I've completed it, haha.

**To readers, alert-ers, fav-ers, and reviewers!:** You guys have been great. I have to apologize for the delays between each chapter submission, but thank you for sticking with me; it means a lot, and I'd love for you all to read some my other works. :)

Hope to hear from you guys this last chapter!

Adieu~! c:


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